How Are You Building? || Pastor Nathan Mesa

Are you ready to dive into the Word of God

this Sunday morning?

I trust that you are.

You know, last week Pastor Aaron did an amazing job

at kicking off our new series called the.

Value of Vision.

Was there anyone here that caught last week with Pastor Aaron?

Absolutely? You know.

Last week we discovered that there are so many new

families that are coming to Patriot Church. And so as

a team, we said, you know what, let's take four

weeks to talk about what is the values of Patriot.

Just like you and I have values within our home,

what are the values of this home? And so we

kick things off talking about our first one, which is Christ.

And as Pastor Aaron rolled out our first value, he

took a look at how Jesus chose to serve his

disciples through the washing of their feet. And through the

washing of their feet, Christ gives us the greatest example

of servanthood that he came as, like my wife said,

in generosity, Jesus came not to be served, but to

what too serve. Today, as we continue on in our

Values of Vision, we're gonna move on to our second value.

Our second value here at Patriot is all about community,

living a life that compels us to do life with others,

which leads us all to using our gifts in the.

Family, in the Body to serve together.

You know, it seems like everyone is desiring to be

in community today.

You could see it in Facebook communities.

You could see it in sorority and fraternity communities. You

could see it in run club communities, book club communities,

country club communities, and all those communities are great and wonderful,

But there is something a little bit more special.

There is something special when we find.

Community with other believers in the Body of Christ that

desire to move in the same direction towards Jesus. There's

something beautiful that can happen. I've yet to encounter anyone

new that comes to Patria that doesn't desire a thriving community.

No one has ever walked through these doors and criticized

us for having too much fellowship. No one's ever criticized

us for having too much smiles on our face when

you walked into church. No one has ever criticized us

and says, you guys have way too many neighborhood groups

and options for me. No, not at all, And that

is because every Christian is designed in our core to

need and to be blessed by community. Biblical community is

it just about gathering on Sunday like we're doing right now.

It's not about what you know, it's not about who

you know, it's not about what you've done. But rather,

biblical community is all about who you are becoming, where

you are going, and who you are going with.

That is what biblical community looks like. Today.

We're going to take a look at three aspects of community,

and if you're taking notes, we're gonna look at Biblical

community devotes, it builds, and it unites. Through these three aspects,

I pray that it deepens our understanding of community and

its role in bringing us closer to Jesus. Let's pray God,

we thank you Father for your word. We thank you

Father for your presence that is already dwelling among us today. Father,

help to stir up God the gift and the love

of community within each other. May I just be a

willing vessel Father in the Holy Spirit, move in this

moment in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So we're gonna start off this morning by taking a

little journey back, and we're gonna journey back to the

day of Pentecost. Pentecost was fifty days after Christ was resurrected,

and here we will explore and read firsthand what the

first Christian community looked like and how it was so

vibrant and transformative.

Right off the bat, we have your bibles.

Turn to Acts chapter two with me, and as you

turn there, I'm going to read a little talk a

little bit about what we are about to jump in at.

You see, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit

fell among those that were there, and Peter gave this

powerful sermon about proclaiming Jesus's resurrection, and he convicted many

people that were there, and through their repentance, they accepted

Christ and about three thousand new believers were baptized and

joined the Disciples.

These were the first Christians.

These were the first Christians that began to gather in community.

And here in Acts chapter two, Luke gives us a

first hand account a to what this first generation of

converts looked like and what their community looked like.

Will you stand with me for the Word of God

this morning?

In Acts chapter two, we're going to begin in verse

for two, and the Word of God says they devoted

themselves to the apostles, teaching, and the fellowship, and the

breaking of bread, and the prayers, and all came upon

every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through

the apostles, and all who believed were gathered and had

all things in common. You may be seated.

The model of the Early Church was very, very simple.

The early Church gathered and devoted themselves to do three

things that we just read. The first is they devoted

themselves to the Word of God. They desired to read

scripture and know what scripture.

Was all about.

The second was they devoted themselves to conanea, which is

simply fellowship.

They devoted themselves to doing.

Life together, to sit around a table, to sit around

a couch, to break bread.

To laugh, and to cry with one another.

And the third thing, they devoted themselves to pray. They

desired to grow closer with God, and in order to

do so, they knew that they needed to pray among

each other in community. The Early Church was united by

one thing, and that was their shared foundation in Jesus Christ.

And the same is true for you and I family.

This is there is something that made the community of

the Early Church so special, and the same is true

for us, and that is the role of the Holy Spirit.

Within our lives. It is the role of the Holy

Spirit to.

Make us look and act more and more like Christ.

The role of the Holy Spirit makes a huge difference

within our faith. You and I are comfort in comforted

in in that the early Church, just like today, was

filled with a whole lot of messy people. It was

filled with a whole lot of ex somethings with various backgrounds,

And even in all their backgrounds, and even in all

their perfections, they came together with the goal to draw

closer to Jesus. Hebrews ten and verse twenty four says,

and let us consider to stir up one another to

love and to good works, not neglecting to meet together,

as in the habit of some, but encouraging one another.

Here's what I know, Family.

When you and I accept Jesus Christ into our life,

we are not saved to an individual gospel. We are

not saved to a gospel where it's just me, you

and God on an isolated island where we got to

try to figure this thing called.

Faith out at all.

No, when we accept Christ into our life, we are

called to a family. We are called to a body

of Christ that is covered by the blood of Jesus passor.

Rick Warren has said, you are not the Church of

God by yourself. You are not the Family of God

by yourself. You are not the body of Christ by yourself.

Only as we are connected together. Are we the family

of God? And are we God's Church?

Are there any tea drinkers out there this morning? They're wow?

Last service had some Diehart heared tea drinkers too.

You know, here's the thing when it comes to tea.

I've learned that there is an art to making a

good cup of tea, and there are typically two types

of people when it comes to making tea.

You had those that are like me.

You grab a cup, you fill it up with water,

you stick it in the microwave, you pull it out

of the microwave, you grab your tea bag. You begin

dumping it about eight to ten times. Then you get

over it and you're like, that's enough. You pull the

tea bag out and you continue on to enjoy your tea,

whether in the morning or if you're sick.

Anyone like me.

Got time for anything else, right, But then you got

those that are like my wife and My wife is

Middle Eastern, so she likes to do a whole production

when she wants a good cup of tea, so she

pulls out her gorgeous ornate Persian kettle directly from Persia,

passed down from generations.

She takes her kettle because she thinks she's queen.

Esther, because that's her ancestry, and she fills it up

with water, not tapwater, the good water, and she puts

it on the stove and she lets it sit until

it boils. And once it reaches the desired temperature, she

then gets loose leaf tea.

Not a tea bag. No, no, no, no, she ain't gonna

do that.

She pours loose leaf tea into the kettle and then

she lets it sit for another ten, fifteen, twenty minutes

on the stove.

All that for a cup of tea.

But see there's something that happens when she sets that

kettle on the stove. As that tea sits in that kettle,

it begins to saturate.

Within that kettle.

The water begins to change because over time, the flavor

and the color is released. More than the way I

place that tea bag in, She puts loose leaf tea

in because the loose leaf tea is not meant to

be pulled out and to be removed.

It's meant to stay in there.

It's meant to saturate within the water because it grows

and it expands, and the longer the tea sits in

the kettle, the more rich and decadent and beautiful the

tea becomes. You know, family, our commitment in community looks

a lot like these two different cups of teas. You see,

when the tea bag is by itself, it's separated, it's isolated.

The tea bag serves no purpose like this the tea bag.

It only serves a purpose when it is immersed into

the water that it begins to take shape and it

begins to come to life.

Are you with me?

You see, family, Most people, when it comes to community

don't mind looking like this first cup of tea because

they don't mind being a dipper, because being a dipper

is easy. Being a dipper is convenient. I'm gonna dip

into church, but I'm not gonna stay long enough for

anyone to get to know me. I'm gonna dip into

church so I can enjoy Pastor Daniel on that worship team.

But I'm not gonna stay long enough to be vulnerable

with any of you. You gotta be crazy. I'm gonna

dip into church this week, but you ain't gonna see

your boy for another three or four weeks.

I'm out of here. I'm dipping in and I'm dipping out.

And we wonder why we struggle the way we do,

And we wonder why our war is weak and looks

like this, And we wonder why we come to church

and say, oh, Patriot is just so big, I can't

have community. Perhaps it's because we haven't allowed ourselves to

be committed and saturated within the church and within one

another that we develop a beautiful community. The true community

in the Body of Christ looks a lot like the

tea that is placed into the kettle to steep, because

when we are fully committed and involved in church community,

what begins to happen is our life over time begins.

To be devoted to one another.

And over this time we become so saturated in fellowship

and doing life with one another that, through our commitment

and through our vulnerability, our life becomes more and more

rich within our faith because we are growing towards Jesus together.

That is what a community of devotion looks like. That

is what community looks like.

It is possible to attend church every week but not

experience church community. It is absolutely possible to sit next

to some of the most amazing people that you are

next to today every single week and not know their name.

It is possible to come to church, to the same service,

the same parking spot, the same seat, and not know

one person within this church.

But if we desire to see.

The fullness of God within our life and within this

church and what God intended, then we need to understand

that we need church community and not just church attendants.

This is church attendants. Beyond these four walls is church community.

That is what you and I need family. So what

does community look like here at Patria. I'm glad you

you asked, and if you didn't, I'm gonna tell you anyway.

This is what community looks like. The first is we

love neighborhood groups here. Neighborhood groups is all about making

this room so much smaller. Neighborhood groups are groups consisting

of hobbies and Bible studies and everything in between. It

is a place for you to know others and for

others to get to know you. The second thing is

is we believe in discipleship sprints. A discipleship sprint is

a five week sprint of a specialized subject where you're

gonna grow closer to God.

But the beauty is you do it around.

A table, and so every week you come together to

meet new people.

Community looks like are women and.

Men of Patriotits and events our young adult Knights where

you are coming in community with brothers and sisters in

the Lord. And lastly, community looks like when you make

the decision to serve in the Body of Christ in

a ministry, you begin to learn and meet new people

and realize, Wow, we are all on this beautiful journey together.

That's what community looks like.

As we took a look at what community is and

looks like, we will now discover what community does. Community

serves not only as a place to care for one another,

but community also serves as a place for us to

build alongside one another. Turn with me to Namiyah chapter three.

Neamiah's in the Old Testament, and you could turn there

very quickly. And as we go to Namiah three and

you turn there, I'm gonna just give a little bit

of context as.

To where we are. So we are now going back.

So now we're five hundred years before Christ and the

story of Niamyah takes place when Neamiah is chilling, hanging out.

With his friends.

They're having a conversation maybe over lunchtime with his Jewish friends,

and Niamiah discovered that the walls that once surrounded Jerusalem

were still in ruins and were completely destroyed. And Niamiyah realized, oh,

my gosh, and that means Jerusalem is wide open to

the attacks of the enemy. The condition of Jerusalem's walls

was all because the Babylonians came and destructed the city.

And after the fall of Babylon, the Persian king, who

Niamiyah worked for as a cupbearer and a high ranking servant,

he allowed the Jewish people to return back to their homeland. Well,

when Niamyah heard this, it broke his heart. It burdened him.

This was his ancestry. He didn't want his ancestry to suffer,

and so he realized that something had to be done.

So what Niamiyah did was he sought the Lord. And

after he sought the Lord, he captured a vision. And

when he got the vision, he laid out a plan,

and he mobilized the community to come together, to join

and to help build. What's important for us to understand

in this story is Neamiah is not a construction worker.

Meamiah had no background of building walls. Neamiah didn't hang

out at home depot on the weekend. Remember, Neamiyah was

a government worker. He worked directly for the king. But

when God calls you and I and he wants something

from us, none of that ever matters when God places

his favor upon our life. And so what Niamiah did

was he showed his heart, He showed his willingness, he

showed his obedience. And God is looking for the same

with us. So now in Neamiah three, we're gonna discover

who chose to build alongside Neomiyah.

Are you with me?

We're gonna go back to school for a moment because

some of these names are gonna be rather hard. So

I'm asking for forgiveness ahead of time.

All right, here we go.

Then Ellis the high priest rose up with his brothers

and the priests, and they built the sheep Gate. They

constructed it and set its doors. They consecrated it as

far as the tower of one hundred, as far as

the tower of Hanel. And next to him, say, next

to the men of Jericho built, And next to them, say,

next to you was.

Zarkor, the son of Amri.

The sons of Hassanah built the fish gate, and there

they laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts,

and its bars. And next to you, say, next to

them was Mira Math, the son of Uriah, the son

of Hakkas repaired. And next to them was Mashulam the

son of Beakach, the son of Mashibah repaired. And next

to them Zadok, the son of Bena. And next to

them the techio rites verse seven. And next to them

repaired mafaiaf Verse eight, and next to them Uzel and

next to them verse nine. Next to them was Rafaya

verse ten, next to them verse twelve. Next to them

verse fifteen, and Shalam, the son Cohaza built a pool

of Sailom in verse sixteen. And after him, say after

now we're switching we were next to Now there's people

coming after, and it says in verse sixteen after him,

verse seventeen, after him, the Levites repaired, and then after

him in verse nineteen was next to him Ezer verse

twenty one after him, are you with me? We're not done?

Verse twenty three after them was Benjamin. Verse twenty four

after him was Banui. In Verse twenty seven after him

was the Tekowhites. Verse twenty eight was after them, was Zodak.

Verse thirty was after him. Verse thirty one was after him,

and it continues on next to and after him is

mentioned fourteen to fifteen times each. Why was it so

important that the author felt that he had to list

every single name of individuals and families that help rebuild

the Wall of Jerusalem. Don't you think it could have

been easy that the texts could have literally just and

summarized as they all came together to build period. You

and I would have understood it. You and I would

have got it. But no, God chose to list every

single individual because I believe they wanted us to know

that God wanted us to know that the Walls of

Jerusalem was not built by one family or one man.

It was built by a community that came together to

labor alongside one another, and those in front and those

in back, brick.

By brick family.

It is so important for us to realize that the

people next to you and the people who come after

you on this journey of faith will determine your level

of success within your life. It absolutely matters who you

are building and serving next to. We are either building

upon the things of this world, our own pride, our

own endeavors, or we are choosing to build next to

others in community for a Kingdom purpose that is way

bigger than you and I, way bigger. Whether you serve

in Patriot Kids holding babies, or maybe down at Generosity

Center giving food away on Saturdays, or maybe you serve

on our Legacy team through your gift of financial giving,

or maybe you serve in Growth Track with a smile

on your face as you welcome new family members to

the church each and every week.

You are a modern day.

Reflection of me a Maya three where you are building

and serving alongside each other, brick by brick, together as

a family. If you were here last week, Pastor Aaron

shared how he got a hold of these special relics

that he found in a museum in Israel. Well, I

got a hold of a special special scroll of my own.

The thing about this scroll is this is being written

as I speak is live scroll, because this is the

narration of Patriot Church. You see, we read the narration

of how the walls were built in Nehemiah in Jerusalem.

I want to share a little.

Bit about what is being built here at Patriot Church.

It says every week Patriot is being built by Jason

Houston in Patriot Kids. And next to him is Chris

and Rachel Renfoe in Assimilation, And next to them is

Camille Singleton in Patriot Kids, and next to her is

Andy Lopez in Patriot Youth, and after him is Carlos

and Anita in Go Missions. And next to them is

Amanda Wolfer back in Patriot Kids, and after her is

Jennifer Gordon in Generosity Center, and after her is Harold

Weed Back in Patriot Kids, and after him is Mama

Watson on the Family. There are hundreds and hundreds and

hundreds more on this list. This list keeps going because

each and every one of these individuals, the only thing

that makes them different than you and I is that

they have chosen to build in the Kingdom of God

alongside one another.

That is what makes the difference.

And so I want to ask you today, who are

you building and serving next to you today. And if

you're not, we got to ask the question why not?

Why don't I have a brick in my hand? Is

your name written on this narration of Patriot Church? If

I kept going? And if not, there's still opportunity for

you to do it, because God calls all of us

to build within the Kingdom of God.

Before we move on, and we move on to our last.

Point this morning, I want to draw our attention very

quickly to verse fifteen in Nehemiah three. In verse fifteen,

it says that Shalem was the son of Colhesar, and

he repaired the pool of Siloam. You see, the pool

of Siloam in Jerusalem served at such an important served

at such an important thing because it was a means

of clean water for the community. The pool of Siloam

was also mentioned five hundred years later in John chapter nine,

and in John chapter nine, Jesus would be at the

same pool, except this time at the pool of Siloam,

Jesus would go to heal.

A blind man.

Do you think that Shalem realized five hundred years earlier

that the walls that he was building within Jerusalem would

be the same pool and walls that Jesus would one

day be at and display his miracle.

Working power to heal a blind man. Do you think

he knew that? He may not?

But what he did know was that he had to

be obedient during that time. You see, family, what you

are building today may seem absolutely insignificant to you, but

in the Kingdom of God, what you are doing by

serving and building the church, you are leaving a legacy

of faith for tomorrow, for your generations and the generations

to come. It ain't just about us right now. It

ain't just about today. We have to be looking toward

the future. We have to be looking toward where our

kids are going to grow up in and our grandkids,

and again the generations to come. We first took a

look at what community looks like, which led us to

the importance of building community together. Our last point today

is once we begin building in community, community begins to unite.

Turn with me.

In Revelation, we're going to the last book of the Bible. Now,

in Revelation chapter seven, if you have your Bibles, and

we're going to go to verse nine. In Revelation chapter seven,

we read of a vision that John had and as

he had this vision. He got a beautiful picture of

what heaven is going to look like. And it says

in verse nine, this is John speaking after this. I

looked and there was a great multitude that no one

could count, from every nation, from all tribes, people and languages,

standing before the throne and before the lamb of God,

robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. I

love this verse because as we read it, we get

a vision of this immense crowd that was up in heaven,

symbolizing the vastness and the inclusiveness of jesus salvation. First

and foremost that John saw different countries. He saw various

ethnic groups, he saw different social and economic groups, people

that were diverse in different languages. It said, every nation, tribe, people,

and language.

What is this show to you? And I?

The vision shows us that God's salvation goes beyond ethnic,

culture and language barriers, and the core of unity within

the Body of Christ is relationships.

That is what it is.

The church today ought to be looking for this type

of fulfillment of vision that John had. But if we're

honest and we keep it one hundred, there are so

many barriers and obstacles to building this type of unity

and diversity in the state of the world today.

But imagine family, if.

The Body of Christ would be the example. If the

Body of Christ exemplify unity and diversity through our relationships

that is united by one common thread, which is the

blood of Jesus.

Turn to someone and look to your right, say.

Hi to them. Now, turn to the left. Don't leave

them out, say hi to them. Don't leave the people

behind you out. Turn around real quick.

Okay, here's what I know.

When you did that, we hear a Patriot are proud

of being a church that is multicultural and multi generational

because what you just looked at is what heaven is

going to look like. And if you've got a problem

with it now, you're gonna have a big problem when

you get to heaven.

We are so.

Proud that every time you can come to church, you

are a reflection of what heaven.

Is going to look like. But we're not ignorant.

Not all churches may look like this, and we pray

that they grow and they understand this. But here at Patriot,

you could be proud that we know what diversity looks

like within the church. Jesus never shied away from diversity

and engagement. When we read this Bible, like many of

you have throughout scripture, we see that Jesus encountered Jews,

Jesus encountered Samaritans, Jesus encountered Romans, Jesus encountered gentiles. Jesus

encountered those that were outcasts, those that were lost, those

that hurt, those that were broken. Jesus's love shows us

that regardless of our.

Backgrounds and our circumstances, there is beauty in diversity.

Many of you may be familiar with a piece of

art called a mosaic art. You see, mosaic art is

created by tiny pieces of broken glass or tile, and

you may find this in art galleries. You can find

it in many of your bathrooms, or maybe even within

your pools. And the beauty of a mosaic art piece

is because each piece is different than the other. No

one piece looks the same, but as the pieces come together,

the mosaic artists uses their skill and their craft.

To create this beautiful picture and art.

Once you begin to stand back, the body of Christ

looks a lot like a piece of mosaic art. You see, family,

this canvas up here represents our church and each broken

glass that I have here in this jar represents you

and I. No one piece of glass looks the same

at all, because here at Patriot we have over seventy

five different cultures and ethnicities that are represented under this

roof today. Each tile represents you and I here at Patria,

you and I with our various backgrounds, and our various

skill set and our various gifts, and our various quirkinesses,

and our various testimonies. No one is the same. Each

piece is absolutely valuable, and even if one piece is missing,

it can affect the whole story and the whole.

Picture of the mosaic. You see.

Our story is being built every week when we come

to church together as a family.

Our story is.

Being told when we join a neighborhood group and make

a commitment to get to know someone. Our story is

being told when I come up for prayer and as

I leave, someone in prayer follows up with me, and

now I have a friendship and a relationship. Our story

is being told when you begin talking to the person

to the right and to the left of you, and

you begin to know their name, and from that you

develop a friendship. Each and every week, our story is

being laid out, and as we come together, what happens

is we begin to unite in community through our diversity

and through our love and with intention and with purpose.

And as we do, the.

True purpose behind community begins to live out and is

on display. And the true purpose behind community is that

we begin to look like this. This is what unity

is all about. This is what community is all about.

Because you and I family are a group of redeemed

people that is glued together by the grace of God

with the desire and the purpose to look and act

like Jesus. This is what it's all about. You think

you're insignificant in your one piece, but in.

The body of Christ, you are so valuable.

And God desires for us to take our individual peace

and begin connecting it and uniting it with others within

the church. When we begin to unite as a family,

we get a fuller understanding of the character of God

and the beauty of God because we begin to see

Him through the diversity and the perspective of other brothers

and sisters that we get to do life with. As

we discover and continue to learn about the values of

Vision here at Patria over this next month, My prayer

for today, though, is that we make an effort, like

Scripture says, to not neglect the gathering of one another,

but to strive to live out community in our faith,

to live out a community that is devoted to one another,

that builds the church and unites us.

All for the glory of God. Amen.

Let's pray God, we just lift up the mighty name

of Jesus.

Father.

We are so grateful for the greatest example of community. Father,

you had community around you. You invited others into your life. God,

And through your example, God, may we learn to understand

that you did not create us to do this life alone,

that we need others around us.

God.

So even in our human nature where it's hard or

where we're shy, Father, I pray that you begin to

stir us up. God, that we begin to take the

first step to say Hello, what's your name?

Where do you serve?

Hey, let's grab coffee after church, whatever that may look like. God,

I pray that you begin to do something in this

house today. God, that we don't leave here God isolated

any longer, that we see the beauty and the value

of community through the great gift of Jesus Christ. For

that we say thank you and we give you glory and.

Honor in Jesus's name. Amen, Can we give Jesus some

praise this morning? Family?

Hey, family, we are right on time and we're going

to leave here together. But before we do, this is

really the most important part of the service. Last week

we took a look at who Christ is, and today

we talked about community. But in order to walk in

biblical community, you first have to have a relationship with Jesus.

You have to know who Jesus is so that you

can begin to apply it in your life, so that

you can begin to love others as Christ loves us.

And so you may be here today and you've never

had the opportunity to accept Jesus in your life. And

you may be here and you've been lonely and you

felt isolated. You've been trying to do this thing called

life on your own, and you realize it has gotten

you nowhere. But today you say, God, I need Jesus

in my life because I need you as a friend.

I need you to walk alongside me.

And my prayer is as that Jesus begins to walk

alongside you, he will change your life and he will

begin to place people in your life to help build

you up and to encourage you. And so I'm gonna

ask everyone to bow their heads, and if you are

here today, I'm gonna invite you to say a prayer

with me.

It's not the prayer that.

Saves you, but it's the positioning and the belief in

your heart through the prayer that saves you. And in

this moment, I'm gonna ask you to repeat after me,

but I want you to meet it with everything in you,

because your life is about to change forever. Jesus doesn't

care what you did last night this morning. He knows

your heart, he knows that you may be and lonely.

He knows the battles you've been fighting. But he's still

pours out his love towards you today. And all we

have to do is to repent and to invite him

in to make.

Him lord of our life.

If that's you here today, but I'm gonna ask everyone

to say this prayer with me.

Let's pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you now to come into

my life, cleanse me and make me whole.

I repent of my sins.

I thank you Jesus for being my friend, a true friend.

Today is a new day in your name. Amen,